Dear Friends,If you are interested in Vipassana practice and the development of compassion, the International Buddhist Academy (IBA) in Kathmandu/Nepal offers a wonderful 10 day retreat in September 2011.text from the webpage:

10 Day Mindfulness and Compassion Retreat(September 5 to 14)

For this year's IBA 10-day retreat, we have the great fortune to have two experienced teachers offer instructions and guidance to the participants. The topics meditators will have the opportunity to focus on and develop are Mindfulness and Compassion. These two factors are both equally crucial for the Path to Awakening, allowing genuine care, well-being and profound wisdom to flourish in the core of one’s being.

The Wing of WisdomVen. Dhammadipa, will lead meditation sessions for the development of special insight (vipassana) by applying "mindfulness on the breath" (anapana-sati). The technique of using the bodily function of the breath as an anchor for one’s mindfulness was taught by the Buddha as a profound foundation for the path to wisdom, a practice which will eventually lead to the realization of the ultimate nature of all phenomena.

The Wing of CompassionKhenpo Ngawang Jorden will emphasise on the Mahayana methods of Mind Training based on Loving Kindness and Compassion (lojong). These practices of opening the heart will result in unconditional acceptance of oneself and others in a genuinely caring way. A practitioner equipped with those means will be able to transform even unfavourable conditions into the path itself. In this way, even outer and inner obstacles will be of assistance for one’s development of compassion and wisdom.